‘Oriole Park’ Earns Grey List Acclaim, Targets Fall 2023 Production Start

The Grey List is a curated list of original, high-quality, market-ready feature and pilot scripts from writers over the age of 40, and the script for Oriole Park made the cut. Now the screenwriting duo of Amelia Dellos and Eric Anderson have attached director Jordan Galland to the project and are full speed ahead, with hopes of filming in Chicago this Fall.

“Oriole Park takes a familiar coming-of-age story/family drama and drops an infamous serial killer into the middle of it,” screenwriter Amelia Dellos shared with SCREEN. “While the dramatic storyline of a family dealing with loss and an unraveling familial bond and the story of a hunt for a serial killer each provide electricity of their own, when you pair the two together, that’s when the sparks really begin to fly. Suddenly, watching kids left to their own devices learning how to exist in the world takes on another dimension as the audience watches them navigate what becomes an increasingly dangerous situation. Although many of the characters are blissfully unaware of the danger in their midst, the audience is put on the edge of their seats as John Wayne Gacy moves closer and closer to the center of the story.”

On that note, the team plans to film in the actual Oriole Park neighborhood where Gacy lived, and also where co-writer Dellos grew up.

Meet Teresa

“Our central character is Teresa, a Greek-American teen inspired by Amelia’s teen self,” Anderson said to SCREEN. “Although the story isn’t purely autobiographical, the setting and characters are inspired by Amelia’s youth.”

The story centers around the troubled relationship between Teresa and her widowed father, Gus, a cop struggling to find his footing after the death of his wife and the sudden disappearance of Teresa’s older brother. Her struggles at home send Teresa into the arms of a group of delinquent teens and after a drug-hazed night haunted by visions of a killer clown, the group finds a bag filled with bloody clothes in Oriole Park – evidence that what they thought were hallucinations might have been a real-life murder. Convinced that going to the police or her father would land them all in hot water, Teresa instead embarks on her own hunt for a killer.

Making the List

The aforementioned Grey List is a curated list of original, high-quality, market-ready feature and pilot scripts from writers over the age of 40. The recognition for Dellos and Anderson may provide the spark the duo needs to launch this promising screenplay into production.

“Although there’s some trepidation around being recognized not just for the work but for the age of the creatives behind the work, the trepidation comes from exactly the thing that The Grey List was created to fight against: ageism in the creative arts,” Dellos declared to SCREEN. “We’re honored to have a spot on this list alongside so many other talented writers, and we hope that we all get our moment to shine.”

“Because ultimately, while it’s nice to have your writing recognized, you want people to be able to see the alchemy of the writing, direction, and the magic of the actors breathing life into these characters,” Anderson said to SCREEN. “And maybe our inclusion on The Grey List will allow that to happen.”

Click here for the full list of honorees from The Grey List.

What’s Next for Oriole Park

The pieces of the production puzzle are coming together for this promising project, which would ideally go into production this Fall. Dellos and Anderson have a letter of intent for the lead actress and are looking for the right company and/or independent financier to partner with to help get Oriole Park on its feet.

“Hopefully The Grey List will raise the project’s profile and help us identify that partner,” Dellos shared with SCREEN.

Check back here at SCREEN for updates as this independent feature film forges ahead into production. You can also click right here to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter.